Monsters from the ocean
by The Dancing Dead
Summary: Emily Sanders never thought her life would turn out the way it did. After suffering a tragic loss in a Kaiju attack she signed up for the Jaeger Program. When she's assigned to a Jaeger she never thought she'd ever have feelings for a certain Australian Pilot. (Will contain spoilers and is pre movie and during.)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except original characters (Emily Sanders).

This is my first attempt so I apologise if it's not very good.

* * *

_Emily_

I was 10 when they first hit. I wasn't there but the news of the 'earthquake' that hit in San Francisco was everywhere. It wasn't really an earthquake though; it was the beginning of an event that would change the world as we knew it.

Creatures known as the 'Kaiju' came through a breach in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean and began to wreak havoc on the countries on the Pacific Rim. I don't really remember too much about the early years of the Kaiju war but after the Kaiju known as 'Trespasser' attacked we all thought it was over. It wasn't for another 6 months that any others came so no defences were built.

The world was shaken but we moved on believing it was over, no-one could explain what had happened but after 2 months the world decided it was a one off event. The next Kaiju, Hundun, attacked Manila and then Kaiceph took Cabo San Lucas. After those attacks more and more Kaijus appeared until they were all over the Pacific Coast.

It was Dr Jasper Schoenfeld who came up with the idea of Jaegers and he travelled the world in the beginning looking for others to help him. When he came to England he found my father and enlisted his help in creating them. He insisted my father travel to America with him but he wouldn't leave us so we all went to America where he became a front runner in the United Nations Jaeger Program.

As for me, my life was completely changed in 2016 when my parents were killed by the Kaiju. We had gone for a day out so my father could take a break from his work. While we were out another Kaiju attacked; we tried to flee the city but the Kaiju caught up to us. When I saw it I froze, I had seen the attacks on TV but I had never seen one that close before. My parents pushed me onwards and after a few minutes I realised they had fallen behind. I turned just in time to see them killed by the Kaiju. I'm not sure how I managed to get out of there, I just remember taking all my pain and anger and pushing myself to go on. As soon as the Kaiju was taken down the grief hit me. My parents were both dead. It was that day I decided I had to join the Jaeger Program and avenge their deaths.

I had gone to live with my Uncle after they died, Commander Mark Sanders. He was rarely there for me as he was always busy with work in the Pan Pacific Defence Corps but he was all I had. He seemed pretty indifferent when I told him about my plans to join the Program. I don't think he thought I was good enough.

Three years after my parents deaths I had found out the Australians had obtained the designs of my father's last project. They were building the newest Mark 4 Jaeger, Midnight Tempest. I had passed all the tests and had been accepted as a new Ranger for the Jaeger Program and was assigned to my father's work. It was all I had left of him so I requested to be assigned to it. To my delight I was granted my request. I was going to make my parents proud.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except original characters

* * *

_Emily  
_

Looking at my Jaeger in the hanger bay I was amazed at how magnificent it looked. It stood 250ft above the ground; it looked like it could deal some serious damage. The sleek black metal covered the machine; the name Midnight suited it well. Seeing the Jaeger reminded me of what I had lost those few years ago.

My first day was spent in the Kwoon trying to find a co-pilot for Midnight Tempest. There were plenty of candidates but most of them I took down four to zero. I was getting tired of it, almost ready to leave, when the last candidate stepped up.

He was fairly tall, brown eyes and dark hair to match. He gave me a smile as he readied his hanbō. He took the first move and I could see right from the beginning he had much more potential than the other candidates I had wasted my time with. Even though I ultimately beat him, it was four to three and I knew he was my co-pilot.

"Davis, Sanders, report to the Shatterdome for a trial run." The Commander of the base spoke before leaving the room.

"I'm James." The man said, his strong Australian accent coming through, as I turned to him.

"Hi, I'm Emily." I replied shaking his hand.

"Looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of each other." He smiled before heading out the way he came in.

After a few trial runs with our Jaeger, James and I were called to the Shatterdome by Commander Davidson. When we got there he was waiting with two other men, one about my age and another in his older man was fairly well built, had rusty brown hair and had deep blue eyes. His son shared his muscular appearance although he was perhaps slightly more defined than his father. His eyes were also a deep blue and his hair also the same rugged colour.

"Herc, Chuck, these are the pilots for the new Jaeger Midnight Tempest, you will be working with them." The Commander spoke as we approached the men. "This is Hercules and Charles Hansen; this is James Davis and Emily Sanders."

"Pleased to meet you." Herc greeted us with a strong Australian accent; he seemed like a friendly man. I shook his hand before turning to Chuck.

"Nice to meet you too." I said putting my hand out in a friendly gesture to Chuck who looked at me almost saying 'piss off'.

"Charles." Herc spoke sternly to his son and he shook my hand, admittedly only half-heartedly, making sure to send me a glare in the process. What was his problem?

"We don't need any crap piloting these Jaegers. We need real pilots." I heard him whisper under his breath but loud enough to make sure I heard as he walked away but I went after him while the others got to know each other.

"Excuse me?" I demanded as I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Get off me! You heard what I said." His glare intensified. "Don't want your Jaeger to crap out while we're out there; can't trust it to have our backs. Heard the original designs were flawed anyway."

"Don't you dare say that! My father designed those." His words stung as the memory of my father came back to me.

"Where is he so I can tell him how shit they were." He replied completely unaware.

"He's dead!" I said blankly. He looked slightly apologetic before he regained control of himself and brushed it off with a snide comment.

"Too bad, I'll just have to tell you how crap the designs were when it fails." He gave a mocking wink before he walked off again. Bastard.

* * *

_Chuck_

I had been raised in the life of a Ranger ever since my mother died in the Kaiju attacks, my father and I were assigned to Striker Eureka when I heard they were building a new Jaeger from some British designs. Then Commander Davidson brought in the two new Pilots to work with us.

Neither of them looked like real Pilots to me and everyone knew the Jaegers were only as good as the people piloting them. The man looked too weak to pilot and the woman, she may have been pretty but that didn't make good Pilots. Why couldn't Davidson just leave us to fight alone? We were good enough and we certainly didn't need mediocre Pilots slowing us down.

My father greeted them which they responded, their accents indicating the man was Australian and the girl was British. There weren't too many British Pilots in the Jaeger Program which made me doubt her abilities as well. When she put her hand out to me I ignored it, there was no need to get friendly with these people, they were here to do their job that's it. My father on the other hand viewed the situation differently.

"Charles!" He spoke sternly using my full name which I hated and he knew it. I reluctantly shook her hand making sure to send a glare along with it. "We don't need any crap piloting these Jaegers. We need real pilots." I muttered under my breath hoping she would hear me. I turned and walked away before I felt her hand grab my arm. She heard me.

"Get off me! You heard what I said. Don't want your Jaeger to crap out while we're out there; can't trust it to have our backs. Heard the original designs were flawed anyway." I shot at her.

"Don't you dare say that! My father designed those." Great she was one of those 'I'm doing it for daddy' Pilots.

"Where is he so I can tell him how shit they were."

"He's dead!" She said blankly. I hadn't thought that would be her answer; admittedly I shouldn't have been quite so shitty towards her but I couldn't let her see me waver on my attitude, she would think she had the better of me, so I recomposed myself.

"Too bad, I'll just have to tell you how crap the designs were when it fails." I walked off then leaving her with a stunned look on her face. She would have to learn it's a tough world, sink or swim.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for original characters

* * *

_Chuck_

It was 5 AM when I woke, after tossing and turning for about an hour I decided to head to the training room on base to clear my head. The halls were deserted as most people were still asleep; I figured the training room would be empty as well but Emily was there when I reached it. Every time we passed, Emily and I would either ignore each other or exchange glaring looks which I wasn't bothered by but seeing her here made me start to re-evaluate my opinions of her, maybe she wouldn't be as mediocre as I expected.

To my surprise she moved with a fluid motion, tactfully striking an invisible companion. I wasn't sure what I expected from her but it wasn't that. She was too focussed to see me standing there watching her every move. After a few minutes I spoke up, letting her know of my presence.

"So you've skills now then?" I said as I walked into the room. She turned to where I stood and rolled her eyes as she saw me.

"What do you want Chuck?" She asked a little exhausted.

"To see how you fight. If we're fighting Kaijus together I need to know who I'm fighting with. From my experience you Brits lack the required refinements needed to pilot such fine machines."

"Really, haven't met anyone matching your fine skills then?" She said full of sarcasm.

"No actually I haven't, you see I have a record simulation score. Nobody has even come close." I said as I approached, boasting a little but I had good reason to.

"You did, until I improved on it yesterday. Gotta keep up Chuck." She said as she approached me with a second hanbō ready to fight. "I think your ego is too big, needs to be taken down a little." She clicked her neck and swung the hanbō around a few times before staring me in the eyes.

"Best put my ego to the test then." I said with a daring smile.

"That doesn't really make sense but I'm always happy to fight you, and besides, kicking your ass will be a good start to my day." And then she swung her hanbō at me, I managed to block it but a second strike hit me in the side. After a few blows from her I came back with force, knocking her down. She tripped me with her foot, pinning me to the floor with one end of the hanbō resting on my stomach.

"So what's your problem with me?"

"From my experience the Brits don't make good Jaeger Pilots, especially female ones."

"So you decided that because I'm British and I'm a female that I'm a shit pilot. You need to get your head out of your ass." Then we continued as I slid out from under her and got her from behind. After a few more moves from us both she took me down again, both of us breathless.

"Okay, you win." I dropped the hanbō and held my hands up in surrender.

"So do you still think I'm a shit Pilot?"

"I won't know until we're deployed."

"But?"

"But you've proved yourself a little." She did have my respect but I wasn't going to tell her easily.

"Good." She eased off, dropping the hanbō and I took that opportunity to flip our positions so that I had her pinned. She looked really pissed to start with and then we both sort of froze as something unexpected happened. I looked at her and our eyes connected in some way that held us in that moment. Something then came over me and I leant down and kissed her passionately to which she responded. I wrapped my arms around her and her arms wrapped around my neck as she ran her hands through my hair but then it ended as quickly as it had started as she pushed me away and ran out the room. My mind fuzzed as I sat on the floor, struggling to piece together what exactly had happened.

* * *

_Emily_

Shit! What the fuck had just happened? One minute Chuck and I hated each other and then… I'm not sure exactly what happened. He didn't like me and I shared his feelings. I'm not sure why he hated me but I wasn't going to waste my breath on him. There was no room for hatred to be a good Pilot; you needed a clear mind in the drift, so I took all my anger out in the training room.

Chuck thought he was so much better than me but he had no idea what my life had been like. Yes his mother had died in the Kaiju attacks but both my parents had been killed and since then I had worked my way to where I am now. I wasn't saying Chuck hadn't earned his place but I had sure as hell earned mine and I wasn't going to let him knock me down.

Just before Chuck kissed me I found myself looking deep into his eyes. I had never really seen him like that before, I mean I noticed his attractive appearance when we first met but I never really looked at him this way before. His deep blue eyes penetrated through to my thoughts, his rusty hair messed around but somehow still looked perfect, his face was soft no longer looking full of hatred.

Then he leant down and his lips crashed on mine, both moving as if they had been longing for so long to do this. My heart raced and I felt my pulse through my head as his arms wrapped around my body, pulling me to him. My arms involuntarily wrapped around his shape, hands entwining in his rugged hair. Then my thoughts snapped back to reality, back to the day my parents had been killed. I had promised myself I would be strong and not let myself be open to the pain again. Okay I was scared, scared of what might come of this. One moment we hated each other and now we were here. Come tomorrow he might have forgotten this even happened and I would look like pathetic girl dreaming over a mistake. Or worse, if this went somewhere and he were killed like so many others… No I couldn't think about that, I had to get out of there, so I pulled back and raced out of the room.

"You are such a girl." I said aloud to myself as I splashed my face with cold water in the bathroom, staring at my reflection in the mirror trying to piece together my thoughts. It was just a kiss, I told myself, nothing more. When I got out the bathroom Chuck was stood waiting for me.

"Sorry about that." He spoke quietly not sure what to say himself.

"Can we just, you know, be friends?" I asked and he looked up to me.

"Yeah, I'm tired of trying to out-evil-stare you." I laughed at that. We walked to the main hall together where breakfast was awaiting us, having our first proper conversation since I had been there. I kept trying to convince myself it had meant nothing but it's really hard to lie to yourself.


End file.
